More than 25,000 people have signed a petition urging Papa John’s Pizza to add a vegan cheese alternative.

The pizza takeaway and delivery chain has more than 350 outlets in the UK, with a store in most major Sussex towns, including Brighton, Worthing, Chichester, Eastbourne, Crawley and Hastings.

Papa John's has responded to the petition asking to increase its vegan offering

The petition, set up by animal rights organisation Animal Aid and vegan blogging and news website Vegan Food UK, notes that with such a huge rise in interest for vegan food and plant-based eating, Papa John’s is lagging behind its competitors by not offering a vegan cheese alternative.

Liam Day, Vegan Food UK co-founder, said: “We are thrilled to see how many signatures the petition has gathered so far.

“It is clear that there is a huge demand for vegan cheese on pizzas at Papa John’s, and it is time for them to supply the growing demand for plant-based foods.”

This Veganuary, a campaign where people take part in a month-long vegan pledge, is set to be the biggest yet with record breaking numbers signing up this year.

Nearly 30,000 people signed the petition

The Economist recently reported that 2019 is going to be ‘The Year of The Vegan’.

Tod Bradbury, Animal Aid campaign manager, said: “Veganism is continuing to grow, mainly out of an increasing concern for animal welfare and the environment. As such, companies need to take heed of such trends and introduce more vegan options, or face being left behind.

“Papa John’s is one of the only major pizza chain to not offer a vegan cheese alternative, despite being very vegan friendly with their bases and sauces. It is time for them to up their vegan game, and it has never been a better time to do it.”

In previous correspondence with Animal Aid, Papa John’s representatives have said that they are ‘reviewing options that would answer the needs of vegans to [its] menu.’

Campaigners hope the strength of the petition will sway Papa John’s to commit to introducing a vegan cheese alternative.